Striping attachment for circular spring-beard-needle knitting machines



June l0, 1930, J. TAITET AL 1,763,378

STRIPING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR SPRING BEARD NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 5, 19L25 3 Sheets-Sheet l o o v TAM?" $479' l Z9 mmluunnummm N /fy'mnnum 3f 67 43 4% N 2s/n n Y wwwnlunnlnnmun mm un" l l; 7

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7 INVENTORS jf/dba. ft 'yml BY .7u-ww )m41 June 10, 1930. J. TAITET AL 1,763,378

STRIPING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR SPRING BEARD NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 5, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR /MM JM.

June l0, A1930. J. TAIT E1' AL N 1,763,378

STRIPING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR SPRING BEARD NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 5, 1925 s sheets-sheet 3 JuzINi/ENTORS n BY JAM@ (7a# l I Patented .une 170, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE JOHN TAIT, WILLIAM TAIT, AND FRANCIS TAIT, JR., OF PHELADELPHA, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO HOWARD HSERY COMPANY, A. lAlit'llNl'ERSHII? COMPOSED OF FRANCIS TAII, SR., FRANCIS TAT, JR., JAMES TAIT, WIE'LLIAM TAT, JOI-IN TAIT, ROBERT TAIT, SAMUEL TAI'I, AND ELIVIER A'. NAIGLE, 013' PHLADELPI-IIA,

PENNSYLVANIA STRIPING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR SPRING-BEARD-NEEDLE KNTTING MACHINES Application v led May 5,

' knitting machines whereby a series of hori- Zonta-l stripes of various colors may be knitted int-o any part, such as the foot or the leg, of the stocking or hose.

Our invention further relates to a new and useful improvement in circular spring beard needle knitting machines whereby a series of horizontal stripes of various colors may be knitted into the body of a hose, spaced apart any desired distance and of any desired width and whereby moreover the width of the stripesmay be varied by predetermined increments throughout the length of the hose and whereby such variation may be accomplished automatically without any attention f on the part of the operator after the machine has been set.

Our invention further relates to a new and useful striping attachment for circular spring beard needle knitting` machines, particularly of the type described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,266,044, and while in the particular embodiment of our invention reference is made to the various parts of a standard spring beard needle knitting machine of the type disclosed by said patent, yet it is to be understood that our novel attachment may be adapted to other knitting machines as well.

In circular spring beard needle knitting machines made heretofore, it has been customary to provide a single yarn change controlling cam drum having thereon a series of camming ribs, pivotally mounted lifting arms or lifters having the lower ends thereof resting on the camming ribs and having their upper ends positioned beneath the pivotally mounted yarn feeding fingers so as to raise said fingers upward and out of operative position when the lower ends of said lifting arms or levers are engaged by the raised or active portion of the camming rib. This yarn change device, actuated by means of a pawl and ratchet mechanism, actuated from the fashioning or timing shaft of the knitting machine, has been useful only in changing theyarn for the diEerent parts of 1925. Serial No. 28,127.

the hose, thus permitting the use of a different grade, quality, thickness, or color of yarn, for the various parts of the hose, such as the welt, leg, pocket foot or toe pocket.

@ur novel construction thus consists more particularly in an oscillating arm carried byl the outer end of the oscillating gear quadrant shaft of the knitting machine, a pin carried by said oscillating arm, an auxiliary cam drum rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in proximity to the main control drum, said auxiliary drum having a ratchet wheel of suitable pitch secured to one end thereof, a pawl arm suitably mounted with respect thereto, an actuating link pivotally connected tosaid pawl arm and having at its lower end a shoulder which is adapted to be engaged and encountered by said oscillating pin, whereby said actuating link will be forced upward so as to oscillate or rock said pawl arm with each stroke of the oscillating arm, and thereby to revolve said auX- iliary drum the distance of the pitch of said ratchet wheel, with each stroke of the oscillating arm.

Our invention further consists of a series of pivotally mounted auxiliary lifters, controlled by said auxiliary drum, for raising the yarn guide fingers out of operative or knitting positions at predetermined intervals, either by direct engagement with the respective yarn guide fingers or through the engagement with the corresponding main lifters.

Our invention further consists of novel means for retaining said auxiliary control drum inoperative during the formation of certain portions of the hose, where no striping is desired, which means consists more particularly in a cam of suitable contourcarried by the timing shaft of the knitting machine, a rod pivotally secured to the auxiliary drum ratchet actuating link at one end thereof and slidable upon a pivot carried by said cam and a follower roller carried by said rod, in alignment with the camming surface of said cam, whereby said actuating link will be raised by said cam during the formation of certain port-ions of the hose where the striping is to be omitted, so as to bring the shoulder on said actuating link out of alignment with the oscillating pin, thereby preventing the engagement of said link by .saidpin, as the latter -oscillates to and fro. f

Our invention further consists yof novelV means to vary the width of the stripes that would otherwise be produced by the uniform intermittent rotation of the auxiliary control, by acting upon the actuating link at varied intervals, so as to raise the'shoulder at its lower end, out of alignment with the oscillating pin, so as to retain the auxiliary control drum stationary over a greater 1nterval, or for a greater number of courses. This latter means consists more particularly in a `width controlling cam disc, suitably mounted upon `a pivot, said cam disc preferably having an adjustable contour, a suitable projection carried yby sa-id actuating link in alignment with said ycani disc and adapted to be encountered thereby, and suitable pawl 'and ratchet mechanism for actuating said Acam `disc either constantly or at certain predetermined. intervals.

Our invention further consists in novel means to actuate yarn severi-ng and clamping devices with each movement of the actuating llink, thereby to sever each of the yarns as it is removed from the hose in the striping operation.

To the above ends our invention consists of the novel means illustrated in the lannexed drawings, and hereinafter described and clained, by which the main objects of the invention set forth above, as well as other objects `that will hereinafter be described, vare attained.

For the purpose 1of illustrating` our invention, we have shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred by us, since they will give in practice satisfactory and =reliable results, although it'is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which our invention consists can -be `variously arranged and organized fandthat our Vinvention is not limited to the :precise Iarrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described. y

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1, represents a perspective View of 4a novel striping attachment for circular spring beard needle knitting machines, embodying -our invention.

Figure 2, :represents a perspective view of the yarn severing and clamping device on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3, represents `a side elevation'of our .novel device.

Figure 4, represents a section 'on line 4-4 of Figure l, showing the :auxiliary :control drum i-n the striping position.

Figure 5, is a similar `vie-w showing the auxiliary7 control :drum in va position .adapted to knit the body of the hose, that is, a position in which the striping yarn had been removed from the knitting operation.

Figure 6, represents a side elevation of the width controlling cam plate and ratchet Wheels.

Figure 7, represents a section on Aline '7 7 of Figure 1.

Figure `8, represents aview in elevation of a hose having a series of horizontal stripes of uniform width, as produced by our novel device. p Y A Figure 9, represents a similar' view in ele? vation of a hose having a series of stripes of varying width, as produced by our novel device.

In Figure l, we have shown a portion of :the frame l of the conventional circular spring lbeard needle knitting machine, while the stationary ring 2 supports the spring beard depresson Similarly 3 is the outer left hand end of the timing or fashioning shaft of the knitting machine, which, as is well known in the art, is revolved intermittently `by the pattern chain and the pawl and ratchet drive cooperating therewith. On the end of this shaft we have secured a cam 4 having certain low and certain high cam.

surfaces in proper spaced relation to the patterning devices vactuating the shaft 3 within the machine. By means of the cam 4, the striping may be eliminated during the knitting of certain parts of the hose, where the stripes are not desired, and may be again inserted during the knitting of those portions of the hose in which the stripes are desired. Usually the stripes are onl desired in the tubular ,portion of the hose, etween the welt and the heel, and possibly on the instep or Ythe foot of the stocking. In ,the particular illustration of the cam 4, shown in the figures, @the flow or active striping portions 5 and 6 of the cam are designed to veffect a constant striping during the knitting of the :leg and foot portions respectively of the hose, while the 'high portions 7 and 8 of the cam, are adapted to eliminate the stripes from the Welt, toe yand from the heel portions respectively, of the hose.

The oscillating shaft 9, carrying the oscillating gear quadrant of the machine, not shown in the drawings, extends through the frame l, and carries vat its outer end, an oscillating arm 10, carrying a pin 11, at a suittable distance from the center of oscillation.

We further secure to the frame 1 of the machine, a stud or pivot 12, on which is mounted the width controlling cam plate 13, as well as the idle and active ratchet wheels 14 and 15 respectively. vWe further provide a vpaWl v16 ,ipivoted on the oscillating arm 10, at a point 17, said pawl 16 being of sufficient width to be in operative alignment with each of the itwo ratchet wheels 14 and 15, so that it may Aengage iboth.

missers j The yarn control cam drum 18, toi-ming part of the conventional knitting machine of this type, having the various camming ribs 19, is actuated intermittently, at predetermined intervals, by means of the pawl arm 2() and the corresponding ratchet wheel actuated by the connecting link 22, which in turn is driven by the pattern mechanism. The control cam drum 18, engages the lower tol` lower ends 23, of the yarn guide litters and 25, which are pivotally mounted upon a common pivot 27, thereby to raise an-d'lower, at predetermined periods, the respective yarn guide fingers 28 and`29, so as to interchange the yarns carried by these guides for the various parts ot the hose, as mentioned here inbefore.

The yarn shearing and clamping devices shown particularly in Figure 2, as is we-- known in the art, consist of the stationary shearing blade 30, the movable and spring pressed shearing blade 31, which is held against the edge ot the stationary shearing plate 30, by the spring 32, and is carried by the pivotally mounted shearing arm 33. The clamping member 34 pivoted at 35 and pressed by the spring 36 is also of the usual construction.

The severing and clamping devices above referred to, are tripped by means of the two tripping rocker arms 37 and 38 respectively, which are pivotally mounted at points 39 and 40 respectively. The tripper 37 is actuated with each movement of the main control drum 18 by means ot the horizontal rod 41 rigidly carried by the link 22,- and the link 42 interconnecting the lower end of the arm 37 with said rod 41` The upper end ot the tripping arm 37 encounters a pivotally mounted Vdog 43, carried by the arm 44, whereby the same is first raised upon the first half ot the stroke of the arm 37, so as to set the shearing and clamping devices and whereby thesame is released so as to trip the shearing and clamping device upon the return stroke of the arm 37, as is well known in the art. l

The yarn change devices above referred to, consisting chiefly ot the fingers 28 and 29, are shown particularly in Figure 1. The litters 24 and 25 are adapted to eitect a change of yarns for the various parts of the hose only. While for the purposes of illustration, we have shown in the figures only two yarn guide fingers 28 and 29, it is to be understood that the number is usually more, and may be increased to an desired number, equal to the number of di 'erent yarns used.

In order to effect an interchange of two yarns within any part of the hose; such as the leg for instance, we provide the auxiliary cam drum 46 and ratchet wheel 47 secured to one end thereof, and suitably mounted upon the pivot shaft 48, which is carried in suitable brackets, not shown in the drawings. The ratchet wheel 47 is provided with a suit* able number ofteeth, dependingV upon the relative width of stripes desired. T he pawl arm 49 is also pivotally mounted upon the `pivot shaft 48 and has an upper handle 50 for manual operation, and carries a spring pressed pawl 51, mounted in the horizontal extension 52 of the pawl arm. Ve further provide a series of auxiliary litters 53 and 54 pivotally mounted upon a common pivot 55 and having their lower endsin operative alignment with the corresponding cam surfaces or ribs 5G and 57. The litters 53 and 54 are bent into suitable form so as to project beneath the corresponding main litters 24 and 25 so as to raise the same, and hence raise the corresponding yarn guide fingers 28 and 29 when the auxiliary litters are acte-d upon by the auxiliary control cam drum 46. By this means it is possible to place any two, or more, of a series of yarn guide fingers, such as 28 and `29 illustrated in Figure 1, under the common control ot two independently actuated, sets of litters; that is, a set of inain litters and a set of auxiliary litters. Assuming the linger 28 tocarry the body lyarn for a particular part ot the hose, such as the leg for instance, which we assume to be silk, and the finger 29 to carry another silk yarn, ot a different color however, to produce a colored stripe, it is seen that while the main control drum 18 leaves the body yarn carried by 28 in the knitting position throughout the formation ot the leg, the auxiliary control drum 4G, through its auxiliary litters 53 and 54, will raise the body yarn 28 out ot the hose and drop the striping yarn, carried by 29, in its place, tor a predetermined number ot courses.

rlhe relative widths of the colored stripes, where such stripes are uniform throughout and are uniformly spaced from each other, may be controlled entirely by the relative lengths of the two camming surfaces 56 and 57 respectively. ln the particular illustra'- tion shown in the drawings the cam 56, acting upon the body yarn, lifts the same out of the hose only for a relatively short distance, approximately one tenth of the width of the body stripe and the cam surface 57 as will be seen from Figures 4 and 5, is cut away an amount just sutlicient to drop the colored yarn in place, while the body yarn is out. The lifting-out ot one yarn, however, is always preceded by the lowering ot the other yarn in order to interknit the yarn ends.

In producing stripes of uniform width and uniformly spaced from one another, the camming surfaces 5G and 57, properly proportioned, serve the purpose; the auxiliary control drum 46 being turned` one or several notches or teeth on the ratchet wheel 47, with each stroke of the oscillating arm 10, as brought out hereinbetore. This is effected through the actuating link 5.8, pivotally se-V cured at its proper end `to the pawl arm 49, at a point 59, .and having .the shoulder 60 at its lower end in alignment with the oscillating pin 11. Thus with .each stroke of the arm 10, the pin 11 .encounters 4the shoulder cam 4 at all times.

and raises the lactu-ating link 58, and hence moves the pawl arm 49, lso as to rotate the ratchet wheel 47 and the auxiliary drum 46 one or several teeth, depending upon .the stroke of the pin 11,. Since in practice there are approximately four courses knitted for each stroke of the oscillating arm 10, since the same is carried Y upon the oscillating lshaft 9 of the knitting machine, which moves with the oscillating gear quadrant of the machine, it is seen that by properly proportioning the relative lengths .of the cam 56 and the cam 57, it is possible to produce horizontal stripes of any given number of courses, in multiples of 4 or whatever number of courses cornespond to one oscillation of the shaft l9.

In order to effect the severing and clamping of the yarn, as it is removed `the hose, vvve provide, as mentioned hereinbefore, the auxiliary tripping arm 38, pivota'lly mounted at 40, and adapted to engage the auxiliary dog 61 carried by a rear extension of the arm 44, which we provide for this purpose. The tripping arm 38is actuated by the transverse rod 62, adjnstably mounted upon the bracket 63, by means of `the nut 64; said bracket 63 being secured to the actuat ing link 58, as shown in Figures 1 .and 3. The link 65 interconnects the rod 62 with the lower end of the arm 38. By this means the severing -a-nd clamping devices .of the knitting machine will be actuated not only for every movement of the main control .drum of the knitting machine, but also for every movement of the auxiliary control drum 46 as well.

In order to eliminate the striping in voertain parts of the hose., that is, in order to eliminate any interchanging of a .colored yarn with the body, in certain parts of the hose', such as the heel, toe and welt, we vprovide a `cam 4, upon the `end of the pattern or tim.- ing shaft 3 of the knitting machine, `as mentioned hereinbefore. We Vfurther provide .the follower rod 66, pivotally secured to the vactuating link at 67 and having an elongated slot or opening 68, in its lower end. The pivot pin 69 lixed to the center of the cam 4 and having the Harige 70, passes through the slot 68 so as to retain the rod 66 in radial alignment with the center of rotation of the The follower roller 7l is pivotally mounted upon the follower rod 66, at a point 72, in alignment with the cam.- ming'edge of the cam 4. By :properly proportioning the high and low portions ofthe cam 4, so as to engage the follower roller 7l and to raise Vthe rod 166 vduring the forma' tion of those portions lofthe hose, inf which no striping is desired, the rod 66 will 'be raised, thereby raising also the actuating link 58, into 4an inactive position as shown in Fig.- ure 3; in'which position .the oscillating pin 1l is out of alignment with the shoulder 66. In this position no striping will take place, since the auxiliary .drum 46 is not active. As brought out hereinbefore, the cam 4 in the particular illust-ration shown, is provided with four distinct camming portions. The high or inactive portion 7 corresponding to the Welt and toe, the former being the be ginning of the hose,'while the latter forming the end of the same; the low or striping surface 5 corresponding to the leg; the high or inactive surface v8, corresponding to the heel; and the low or striping surface 6 corresponding to the foot.

In order to produce stripes of varying widths, we may use the two camming ribs 73 and 74 instead vof the ribs 56 and 57, said ribs 73 and 74 having alternate high .and low portions of uniform 4length and all uniormly spaced, which, in the normal operation of the auxiliary control drum 46, would produce stripes of the body .and stripes of the colored yarn, of uniform and equal width. In using the ribs 73 and 74 the auxiliary lifters 5 3 and 54, shown in Fi ure 1, are also replaced wi-th similar auxi iary litters, of a greater width however, vso that their follower ends will be in operative alignment with the respective ribs 73 rand 74. In producing the stripes `of varied width however, the actuating link 58 is raised into an inactive position for certain predetermined and unequal lintervals of time, while the body yarn is being knitted, thereby 'knitting more vof that yarn than of'its substitute colored yarn. By this means the stripes of the body yarn and the stripe of the colored yarn may be increased or decreased corresponding amounts, as desired, by merely raisin the actuating link 58 into an inactive position with respect to the oscillating pin 11, at suitable intervals.

This lis accomplished by means of the cam Vdisc 13, pivotally mounted upon a stud 12, as mentioned hereinbefore, and actuated by the pa-wl 16, also carried by the oscillating arm 1,0. The cam plate 13 is preferably of an adjustable t pe, having the high and the low ,periphera camming lugs 75 and 76 respectively, detachably secured to it inV any suitable manner; The actuating link v58 1s further Y provided with aslight projection .7 7 in alignment with the camming lugs 75 and 76. Thus, whenever a high camming lug 7 5 is brought around to the projection 77, it will encounter the same and again raise the actuating link 58 into an inactive or inoperative position with respect to the oscillating Vpin 11.

In Figures 1, 3, 6 and 7 we have shown means, whereby the cam disc 13 will be actuated intermittently instead of constantly,

lll

ing of 1 colored stripes in the hose, other, or spaced apart from each other,

`particularly in Figure 1.

. out hereinbefore. i. ing with a width controlling cam 13, carriedby the pivot with each movement of the pawl 16. This means consists chiefly of the idle ratchet .wheel 14, having a suitable number of high teeth 7 8 and suitable number of low teeth 79, properly distributed throughout its circumference. The cam disc 13 on the other handis secured to the ratchet wheel 15 which is of a slightly smaller diameter than the high teeth "of the idle ratchet wheel, being of th-e same diameter as the lower teeth 79. Thus the active ratchet wheel 15 will only be engaged by the pawl 16 when the latter drops into one of the low teeth7 9, and will not be moved while the pawl 1 6 is engaging one of the high teeth 78. Thus also, the cam disc 13 will only be moved a notch when the pawl 16 drops into one of'the low teeth 79 of the idle ratchet wheel 14.

It is thus seen that by the `proper positionthe low te-eth'7 9, and a proper adjustment of the high and low lugs and 76 respectively, it is possible to increase or decrease the width of the stripesin any part of the hose, by any desired increments; the latter depending upon the distances between the successive high lugs 75. In the particular illustration shown in the drawings, it is seen Athat the high lugs 75 are spaced apart by `uniformly increasing distances, thereby increasing the width of the stripes constantly, by equal increments. f

It is thus seen, that we may either produce a series of uniform stripes through any `portion of a hose, or we may produce stripes of varying width. Similarly, we may produce a series of individual stripes of a single color in the hose, or we may place several differently alongside of each as the case may be.

Thus, to produce a simple uniform stripe with one striping yarn, it is only necessary to have `one striping yarn guide finger 29, which is raised and lowered by means of the main lifter 25 and the auxiliary lifter 54, as shown The striping yarn finger 29,'is then substituted in place of the body yarn finger 28 at intervals determined by the relative extents of the corresponding c'amming ribs 56 and 57, as brought For such uniform stripsingle striping yarn, the stripe shaft 12 and the actuating pawl 16 therefore, ar-e not necessary. In that case therefore, the pawl 16 is merely thrown back into an inoperative position, and the striping is eected through the actuating link 58 and the oscillating `arm 10 as mentioned hereinbefore. Similarly, if it is desired to produce a uniform striping, in only certain portions of the hose, then it is-necessary to employ the striping cam 4, whereas, if the striping action is to 'continue throughout the entire hose, then the cam 4 can be dispensed with, by merely disconnecting the follower rod 66 from the actuating link 58.

It is furtherI to be understood that several differently colored striping yarns, or several striping yarns of diderent qualities, may be used, by merely providing a plurality of striping yarn fingers 29, mounted along the side of the one shown in Figure 1 and providing corresponding lifters 25 and 54 and camming ribs 57 on the cam control drum 46. 1n using the width controlling cam plate 13, as brought out hereinbefore. it is only necessary to so position the high camming lugs 75 around the periphery of the cam as to engage the projection 77 onthe actuating link 58, at varied intervals and toretain said actuating link out of operative engagement with the arm 10, for varied periods of time, while Veither a body yarn finger or a striping yarn have shown a hose with uniform stripes as A. produced without the aid of the width controlling cam 13, but only with the aid of the auxiliary cam drum 45 and the striping cam 4. Due to the fact that the yarn change control drum is timed with relation to the forming or patterning operations in the knitting of the hose, that is, it is timed with relation to different parts of the hose, it has been impracticable therefore to effect any periodic recurring changes of the yarns for a given. number of courses within any part of the" hose so as to produce stripes of different colored yarns. By our novel construction, the yarn guide lingers carrying the various yarns are placed under the common control of two4 independently actuated yarn change control cam drums, the main drum to effect a change of yarns for the various parts of the hose and the auxiliary control drum to effect a periodic change of yarns Within any desired parts of` the hose, so as periodically to substitute a diiferently colored yarn for the body yarn, thereby to produce colored stripes, said auxiliary control drum being actuated independently of the main control drum, so that it may.

effect the desired` striping of the hose, in any portion thereof, independently of the patterning or fashioning operation.

It will now be apparent that we have devised a novel and useful Construction of a striping attachment for circular spring beard needle knitting machines which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while we have, in the izo present instance, shown and described preferred embodiments thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that such embodiments are susceptible of modifications in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. The combination of a spring beard needle knitting machine including a main control cam drum, a'body yarn guide finger, a striping yarn guide linger, an auxiliary control cam drum, finger lifters intermediate said yarn guide fingers and said control drum for raising and lowering said fingers in opposite directions, a pawl and ratchet cooperating with said control drum to revolve the same predetermined amounts, an actuating link operatively connected with said pawl, an auxiliary arm, means to er'ect engagement between said arm and said actuatmg link with each stroke of the former, a timing shaft, a striping cam carried by said timing' shaft, having two different camming surfaces, corresponding respectively to those portions of the hose to be striped, and those portions of the hose to be knitted without any striping, follower means intermediate said striping cam and said actuating link for displacing the latter out of an engaging alignment with said auxiliary arm, and a width controlling cam cooperating with said auxiliary control cam drum'to vary Vthe action of the latter by any desired increment.

2. The combination of aspringbeardneedle knitting machine including a main control cam drum, a body yarn guide finger, a striping yarn guide finger, an auxiliary control cam drum having peripheral camming ribs corresponding to each of said yarn guide iingers, finger lifters intermediate said yarn guide'fingers and the corresponding camming ribs on said drum, whereby one of said fingers is raised from, while the other is lowered into, a knitting position by said drum, a width controlling cam coacting with said auxiliary cam control drum to vary the action of the latter by any desired increment, and means intermittently to revolve said auxiliary control cam drum a predetermined amount for any desired number of courses knitted by said knitting machine, including a link adapted to actuate said drum, and a plurality of cam surfaces for intermittently rendering said link inoperative.

3. The combination ofV a spring beard needle knitting machine including a` -main control cam drum, a body yarn guide finger, a striping yarn guide finger, an auxiliary control cam drum having peripheral camming ribs corresponding to each of said yarn guide lingers, finger lifters intermediate said yarn termittently to revolve said auxiliary control f" cam drum a predetermined amount for any desired number of courses lmitted by said knitting machine including al link adapted to actuate said drum and a plurality of cam surfaces for intermittently rendering said link inoperative, and Width controlling means for said auxiliary drum, whereby the latter may be retained inactive for varied intervals of time, while either the body yarn finger or the striping yarn finger is in the knitting position.

4. The combination of ay s ring beard needle knitting machine inclu ing a main control cam drum, a body yarn guide finger, a striping yarn guide ger, an auxiliary control cam drum to raise and lower, out of and into the knitting positiomsaid yarn, guide lingers in opposite directions, a width controlling cam cooperating with said auxiliary control cam drum, whereby the latter is rendered inactive for successive intervals of pre- "Y determined and varied numbers of courses lof said knitting machine, and means for revolv ling said auxiliary cam control drum including a link adapted to actuat'e said drum, and g a plurality of cam surfaces for intermittently i rendering said link inoperative.

5. In a device ofthe character stated, a

j plurality of' yarn guide fingers, a main control cam drum, pivotally mounted lifters cooperating with said main control drum and in i alignment with corresponding yarn fingers to raise certain ofsaid yarn fingers out of an operative or knittin position and to lower other yarn fingers in t ei'r places, for the various parts of the hose, an auxiliary control drum, auxiliary lifters "cooperating with the same, adapted to raise a certain oneof said yarn fingers out of an o rative iti'on and to lower another yarn nger in its place, means to act-nate said auxiliary control drum periodically with a given number of courses of the knitting machine including a link oper ated by a source of power and adapted to revolve said drum, a timing shaft, a. cam carried by said shaft adapted to render said link intermittently inoperative, and awidth control cam coacting with said link for rendering said auxiliary control drnms inoperative durilng the knitting of certain portions of' the ose.

6. The combination, in a knitting machine, of a plurality of yarn guide fingers, lifters to actuate the same, a main controlling cam drum to operate said lifters, an auxiliary control drum, auxiliary lifters adapted to actuate said yarn guide fingers independently of the main controlling drum, means to actuate said auxiliary drum, a width ca'm eoacting with the actuating means of said auxiliary drum to vary the action of the latter by any desired increment, means for rendering said auxiliary drum inoperative during the knitting of certain portions of the hose and for rendering the same operative during the knitting of other portions of the hose, including a link adapted to actuate said drum, and a plurality of cam surfaces for intermittently rendering the said link inoperative.

7. In a knitting machine of the character stated, a main control cam drum, an auxiliary control cam drum, auxiliary linger lifters cooperating therewith, means to actuate said auxiliary drum, including an actuating link driven by a source of power, and a timing cam adapted to render said link inoperative during the formation of certain parts of the hose, and the Width control cam cooperating with said actuating means to vary the action of said auxiliary cam drum by any desired increments.

JOHN TAI'I. FRANCIS TAIT, JR. WILLIAM TAIT. 

